Rafik M Ghirbi
Sales & Marketing Manager
La Marsa
Summary
Driven, commercially focused and with a strong ability to manage and enlarge assigned portfolio of clients. Motivated by achieving results and have a proven track record in key account management and sales. Loyal, devoted, and motivated. Enjoy being a team leader and contributing to team success with experience, communication skills, and coaching. Skilled in developing relations with external stakeholders and maintaining a strong international network in the hospitality industry. Dedicated in tourism industry professional with a history of meeting company goals utilizing consistent and organized practices. Skilled in working under pressure and adapting to new situations and challenges to best enhance the organizational brand.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
2
2
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Head of Sales & Marketing
Vacancia Travel Tunisia - (Incoming DMC)
08.2022 - Current
- Signing hotel contract on Behalf of offline and online Client from all over the world (Vtours, Expairtours, Edreams, BMP Voyages, Travelevasion , Showroomprivé, Noah Voyages, Bedsconnect, Traveltrade Group)
- Supervising the sales and booking Team about all the request and help them in case of problem
- Following the process of B2B integraton with some European Hub (we 're connected with orchestra in France) and in progres with travelgate
- Establish a different and a full range of product that can be offered in B2C or B2B such as Thalassotherapy package, golf Package, Transfers (Private and Shuttle), VIP and Luxury product and services, Rent a car, Excursions, Tours, airline Ticket, incoming package, outgoing package, Hotels worldwide
- Supervising in general all the department (accounting, sales, contracting, human resources, Production) with making a weekly or daily meeting and briefing depending on the situation, season and events that we have to manage in the agency
- Assisting to the major worldwide faire such as Toprésa in France, WTM London, ITB Berlin, Fitur Madrid
- Working with all department with aim and target and deadline
- Head of business development department to enlarge or client portofolio and finding a new market or source market and partners.
- Developed and executed annual business plans, resulting in consistent revenue growth.
- Managed multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining focus on meeting key milestones.
- Participated in planning process to achieve corporate objectives.
- Achieved cost savings through strategic negotiation with vendors and suppliers.
- Analyzed market trends and competitor activities to create competitive advantages.
- Developed and maintained relationships with customers and suppliers through account development.
- Monitored financial performance, set budgets and controlled expenses to provide financial stability and long-term organizational growth.
- Managed purchasing, sales, marketing and customer account operations efficiently.
General Manager
MRM Consulting (Consulting tourism firm)
10.2022 - 11.2023
- Contacting all tour operator, DMC and travel agency to sell and prepare the commercial hotel strategy with different prices with respect of distribution process which means , B2B prices B2C prices, OTA Prices and Tour operator prices with package or hotel only
- Make a training of hotel staff how to use OTA extranet and give them some tricks to not lose sales and having always hotel on the top on research results especially with expedia booking which are the famous OTA used in Tunisia
- Prepare the sales strategy of the hotel and give some feedback about the prices with having an eye on the competitor prices using the Bistro portal for German speaking countries market or other B2C websites like trivago or Holidaycheck
- Cultivated strong relationships with clients, vendors, and partners to ensure long-term success and loyalty.
- Developed and implemented strategies to increase sales and profitability.
- Selling some tools like hotelrunner and Giata drive to help the hotels to gain on visibility in internet and increase their volume of sales.
General Manager
VoyageKom Tunisia (Incoming DMC)
07.2018 - 07.2022
- Signing hotel contract on Behalf of offline and online Client from accross Europe and middle East (Vtours, Misterfly, Expairtours, Dnata, Edreams, vente privée France, voyageprivé Europe, BMP Voyages, Travelevasion , Showroomprivé)
- Supervising sales and booking Team about all request and help them in case of problem
- Preparing a large panel of Product in our B2C Website
- Following the process of B2B integraton with some European Hub (we 're in process and final step with orchestra in France)
- Establish a different and a full range of product that can be offered in B2C or B2B such as Thalassotherapy package, golf Package, Transfers (Private and Shuttle), VIP and Luxury product and services, Rent a car, Excursions, Tours, airline Ticket, incoming package, outgoing package, Hotels worldwide
- Supervising bank statements, payment of hotels, focus on bank transfer received from our client
- Helping accounting department in case of invoicing problem or disappearances with our client or our provider and finding solution
- Insure the good process of tax return
- Supervising in general all department (accounting, sales, contracting, human resources, Production) with making a weekly or daily meeting and briefing depending on situation, season and events that we have to manage in the agency
- Assisting to major worldwide faire such as Toprésa in France, WTM London, ITB Berlin, Fitur Madrid
- Try to make a good atmosphere in office to create a strong relationship between all staff member and to make them feel comfortable that they can give for the Firm the max and the best of them without calculation of time
- Working with all department with aim and target with respect of deadline.
Sales Manager / Head of contracting All Market
Spring Travel Services Tunisia (Incoming DMC)
07.2017 - 07.2018
- Signing contract on Behalf of our French TO partner (Lastminute.com, Carrefour voyages) and some other partners in Europe like Vtours Germany, Logitravel in Spain
- Asking for a big operation of flash sales on behalf of our partner Perfectstay.com / Lastminute.com with added value with the best hotels in Tunisia
- Insuring the good process of daily work of 3 regional sales and contracting Manager regarding contracting, request, Yield Management, New Product
- Assisting the regional contracting in some hotels contracting session for some Partner
- Assisting the regional contracting in contracting for the Local Market
- Assisting the regional contracting to send the answer about the MICE, groups and Tours request
- Looking for new partner and develop the business (still Negotiating with OntheBeach, attractiveworld, travellanda, Tropo)
- Looking for new market (like Chinese now for tours)
- Making the portofolio as bigger as we can
- Making our B2C website Tunisiebooking.com very attractive for all client from all over the world looking for hotels in Tunisia
- Looking after new product to sell to our partners like Thalassotherapy Package, golf Package new excursions, new tours, all kind of transfers
- Looking after special hotels to add them to our hotels portofolio like: charming Hotels, Boutique Hotels
- After 16 months we have an increase of 300% in European market in overnights and pax from 2016 to 2017, we moved from 8000 guest in 2016 to 24000 in 2017
- Establish the commercial and marketing strategy for our group
- Making the fairs Plan
- Develop the collaboration with founding new market and new clients.
Sales Manager / Head of contracting European Market
Spring Travel Services Tunisia (Incoming DMC)
07.2016 - 07.2017
- Signing contract on Behalf of our French TO partner (Lastminute.com)
- Asking for a flash sales on behalf of our partner Perfectstay.com / Lastminute.com with added value
- Contracting most of hotels in all resorts area of Tunisia for all of our online partner which takes the rates from us via XML: Logitravel, Misterfly, Hotelspro, Metglobal, restelhotel
- Benchmarking versus the competition and looking after new product and new profit center
- Attending to the fairs
- Improve the business and trying to growth from one year to another by Following forecast and sales, making a weekly checkup
- Ask my assistant to make control on the room stock, release, min stay to not miss any booking problem or a failure or negative answer from our platform through our B2C website tunisiebooking.fr
- Attending to the most important fairs and try to catch new business new partners
- Attend to the niche and target fair (Senior, MICE, Groups)
- On the same way grow more and more with the actual business
- Trying to contact the most well known and to connect to the famous wholesaler (welcomebeds, logitravel, Vtours, Travellanda, restelhotels, hotelspro, W2M) and xml platform like (peakwork, xmltarvelgate, X-Adapt, Xres)
- Prepare and follow up with the GM the budget in terms of turnover and overnights and number of clients
- Working in collaboration with our Marketing Department to Prepare all the documentation and requirement for the agency as per presentation or Company profile in English, German and French or any other communication tool digital, paper for the fairs or for advertisement in all channels (Social Media, Radio, Television Websites, Newsletter, Specialist revue and magazines)
- Work in parallel with the Financer manager to control our expenses and to make our cost the lowest by always trying to find the nest deals with telecom companies or any other provider that can make for us the best deal
- Daily work with my team and other department to follow the sales and improve the forecast and find our weak
- When needed making interviews for the new staff
- Making 3 or 4 times a year an IT meeting with our IT Team to improve our performance in our Backoffice system called (Resabooking) improve its performance and dashboard that it can be always more and more efficient
- Looking after new units all over the country (hotels) to make our B2C website Tunisiebooking more attractive and more visible
- Attending to the most valuable fairs as : WTM, ITB, IFTM TOP RESA.
Sales Manager/Head of contracting
DTS Tunisia (Incoming DMC, Destination Touristic Services), Part of DER Touristik
12.2014 - 07.2016
- Responsible of developing sales and daily relations with all stakeholders
- Developing general strategically plans in order to drive account development and ensure business growth
- Revenue Management by increasing sales with daily contact (flash sales, promotions release, free room upgrade, free board upgrade, free voucher, Added Value)
- Oversee continuous account productivity in line with budgetary guidelines and set goals
- Handling MICE, Conference, Group, Cruise and Tours Request as well as educational trips
- Support partner contracting manager in their contracting trip and contracting Meeting
- Identifying new opportunities and recognize new product evaluation needs
- Attending fairs, workshops and brochure presentation in Europe
- Benchmarking and competitiveness analyze using bistroPortal or Holidaycheck or any other B2C websites direct sales
- Check and help the accounting department to control purchase invoices according to the contract signed as well as internal controlling of TO invoices
- Check with the hotels if all marketing support are updated and give them advices how to improve their support and mainly digital support
- Consistent and close collaboration with internal stakeholders such as destination managers, office manager of each local destination in handling any occurring challenges
- Expert user of IOL (Illusion Online)
- Weekly, monthly and quarterly monitoring and reporting on achieved targets, contracted revenue, market information and, possibilities for growth
- Contribution to setup all our marketing support for the DMC
- Attending to the most valuable fairs (WTM, ITB and others).
Sales & Marketing Manager for Les Orangers Group
Local Hotel Chain With 3 Hotels (Azur Hotels)
05.2014 - 11.2014
- Responsibility of 5 properties, 800 rooms and an annual company revenue of about 2 000k USD
- Monitoring the overall sales & marketing operation of the hotels
- Coordination of the sales team in order to fulfil budget goals, sales targets, expense budgets and guidelines set by the board of directors
- Research of new market segments, tour operators, incentive partners
- Identifying new revenue opportunities to enhance company profitability
- Liaising and negotiating rates and service requirements with management of local and international tour operators, agencies and incentive companies
- Attending and in fully preparing all major international trade exhibitions
- Responsibility for implementing the marketing plan and development of promotional material such as website, brochure, videos/photos, advertising and promotional campaigns
- Develop all marketing supports (mainly digital supports)
- Community manager
- Revenue Manager for the 4 operating units (5th one still in building work LTI Premium les Orangers Garden) increasing the sales via all the channels B2B or B2C
- E commerce Management via Expedia and booking Extranet
- Weekly contact with all partners to push and increase sales by offering the best promotions with flash sales, Added Value or even room or board upgrade or Free voucher in the Thalassotherapy center or A la Carte Menu.
Destination Manager & Key Account Manager
The Dynamic Packaging TO and offline client) OTS/MTS Incoming DMC
09.2008 - 04.2014
- Head of contracting and key account management for online and offline tour operators using DMC as channel of procurement, among others B2C operators such as Expedia, hotels.com; V-tours, LMX, Urlaubstours, and B2B operators such as TravelTool, Inspire Luxury Experience, Lowcostbeds and Lot of hotels
- Assisting in contracting for main tour operators such as Dertour, Phoenix Reisen, Cosmos, Luxair, REWE Touristik Group, Classic Collection and SchauinslandReisen
- Yield management according to flight capacity, controlling and following up on hotel's productivity and offers to reach maximum value
- Optimizing portfolio according to potential and client's need through benchmarking and examination
- Responsible of all company resort administration, including financial documentation, accounting, team personal development and customer feedback
- Proposing and agreeing monthly sales targets for team members with Head Office
- Co-ordination of team to ensure the most productive level of teamwork
- Addressing any problems which arise promptly and efficiently, ensuring a satisfactory solution is agreed with and communicated to all involved parties
- Expert user of IOL (Illusion Online)
- Weekly, monthly and quarterly monitoring and reporting on achieved targets, contracted revenue, market information and, possibilities for growth
- Contribution to setup all our marketing support for the DMC
- Attending to the most valuable fairs (WTM, ITB and others).
Commercial Manager & Managing Director
Royal Travel, Incoming DMC of Kuoni Travel Group
09.2006 - 09.2008
- Overall accountability of full operation in order to ensure maximum productivity and revenue, exceeding set targets both in sales and cost management
- Full responsibility of company accounts and budgetary requirements
- Managing, training and supervising all team members
- Analyzing market changes, competitors as well as reporting on weekly, monthly and annual basis to owners and board of directors
- Quoting all kind of request group, incentives, Tours, Cruises, all Tailor made request.
Training at the HQ of FRAM, French Tour Operator
Promotion Department
- 08.2006
- Assisting the Director of Promotion in all tasks for FRAM Voyages, especially involved in marketing campaigns/sponsorships and sales training
- Preparing a PowerPoint presentation of all Mediterranean destination for all the sales Team to help them to know better the destination that they are selling.
Area Manager Assistant, part of final masters studies
Odalys Vacances
- 10.2005
- Final master studies training assisting in daily operations as well as commercial tasks, including accounting, sales, HR, guest services, quality checks, front office etc
- In charge of 7 hospitality units in Aude Area.
Education
M.D. - Ecocomy of International Tourism
Institut Des Etudes Politiques, IEP
Toulouse, France 10.2004 - 09.2005
Bachelor of Science - Mangement
University of Tunis Economy And Management
Tunis, Tunisia 10.2003 - 05.2004
High School Diploma -
High School Carthage Presidence
Tunis, Tunisia 09.1998 - 06.1999
Skills
Operations Management
Personal Information
- Date of Birth: 07/10/1980
- Nationality: Tunisian
- Marital Status: Married, no children
Languages
Arabic, French
Native language
Arabic
Proficient
C2
French
Proficient
C2
English
Advanced
C1
German
Upper intermediate
B2
Italian
Intermediate
B1
Spanish
Elementary
A2
References
- Mr Christophe Bazille, Former Area Manager for Africa and Middle East Expedia, Madrid, Spain, christophe@hospitalitywebservices.com
- Jennifer Marsella, Market Manager North West Africa, Expedia, jmarsella@expedia.com
- Mrs Jamila Assel, Concept and destination Director, Appolo, jamila.assel@appollo.se
- Mr Alexander Schork, Head of Contracting - East V-tours & Hotel Plan Group Switzerland, Aschaffenburg, Germany, Schork@vtours.de, +491716733380
- Mr Jens Reinhardt, Dertour Contracting Manager (German Tour operator), Frankfurt, Germany, Jens.Reinhardt@DERTOUR.DE
- Mr Peter Vermeulen, Vice President Luxair Tours (Luxembourg Tour operator), Luxembourg, peter.vermeulen@luxairgroup.lu
- Mr Ray Manara, Head of Purchasing Jet2Holidays, UK, Ray.Manara@jet2holidays.com
- Mrs Patricia Jeschke, Senior Product Urlaubstours for Tunisia Morocco Egypt Emirates, Oman (German Tour operator), Leipzig, Germany, patricia-jeschke@web.de, +491702391697
- Mr Samuel Salma, CEO Logitravelgroup, samuel.selma@logitravelgroup.com
- Mrs Daniela Methfessel, Content Manager - Dertouristik Koln, Germany, Daniela.Methfessel@dertouristik.com, +4915125229729
- Mr Ludovic Cros, Chef de Produits, Travelevasion, ludovic@travelevasion.com, +33695437734
- Mr Baptiste lesclauze, Category Manager Travel, Showrooprivé, baptiste.lesclauze@showroomprive.net, +33684312953
- Anne Christine Rahal, GM BMP Voyages Sourires du monde, acrahal@bmpvoyages.fr, +33612387130
- Romain Sillaro, Accommodation Market Specialist Odigeo Edreams, romain.sillaro@edreamsodigeo.com, +34691833916
- Sophie, Vice President Europe | Travel Trade Group European, +34 722 714 757, sophie@traveltradegroup.com
Additional Information
I am open to work as soon as possible i have no notice period to my actual position
Software
Microsoft office
Bistro portal
OTA EXTRANET
Interests
Trip
Sports
Reading books and magazine
Watching movies
Watching documentary
Timeline
General Manager
MRM Consulting (Consulting tourism firm)
10.2022 - 11.2023
Head of Sales & Marketing
Vacancia Travel Tunisia - (Incoming DMC)
08.2022 - Current
General Manager
VoyageKom Tunisia (Incoming DMC)
07.2018 - 07.2022
Sales Manager / Head of contracting All Market
Spring Travel Services Tunisia (Incoming DMC)
07.2017 - 07.2018
Sales Manager / Head of contracting European Market
Spring Travel Services Tunisia (Incoming DMC)
07.2016 - 07.2017
Sales Manager/Head of contracting
DTS Tunisia (Incoming DMC, Destination Touristic Services), Part of DER Touristik
12.2014 - 07.2016
Sales & Marketing Manager for Les Orangers Group
Local Hotel Chain With 3 Hotels (Azur Hotels)
05.2014 - 11.2014
Destination Manager & Key Account Manager
The Dynamic Packaging TO and offline client) OTS/MTS Incoming DMC
09.2008 - 04.2014
Commercial Manager & Managing Director
Royal Travel, Incoming DMC of Kuoni Travel Group
09.2006 - 09.2008
M.D. - Ecocomy of International Tourism
Institut Des Etudes Politiques, IEP
10.2004 - 09.2005
Bachelor of Science - Mangement
University of Tunis Economy And Management
10.2003 - 05.2004
High School Diploma -
High School Carthage Presidence
09.1998 - 06.1999
Training at the HQ of FRAM, French Tour Operator
Promotion Department
- 08.2006
Area Manager Assistant, part of final masters studies
Odalys Vacances
- 10.2005
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